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Elly Roberts reviews
Domino
- January 2008
- Rating: 10/10+
Ex-Test Icicle guitarist forms new band, with surprising results.
I say surprising because of some of his previous collaborations haventexactly spawned great results.
Devonte Hynes seems to have found his mojo with new musical venture LightspeedChampion, which is far removed from his former band, the daft electro-punktrio Test Icicles. This time around Hynes pushes the boundaries with an eclecticset of songs.
Armed with new material, he set off to work in Omaha, Nebraska in early 2007,where he recruited Bright Eyes Saddle Creek producer Mike Mogis who alsoplays, along with local musicians Nate Walcott (Bright Eyes) guest vocalistEmma Lee Moss aka Emmy The Great, a London based singer-songwriter, and afew moonlighters.
Not really happy with TIs music, hes now freed himself to become a maverickfollowing his diverse musical tastes that take in Broadway musicals, Hip-Hop,Thrash Punk, and Country, which hes probably absorbed on his journey from Houston(born) to Essex (raised) and now Dalston (based).
This is very much a freewheeling album beginning with the exquisite country-tingedballad and appropriately titled Number One, a 23-second instrumentalintro to Galaxy Of The Lost, released as a single last year, is adornedwith melancholic vocals, fiddle and dollops of divine pedal steel.
All To Shit has shades of Beatles Eleanor Rigby and classical overtonescrammed into just over a minute. Dropping back to his country template, thecool and groovy epic Midnight Surprise is laced with more subtle pedalsteel, broken by Emmys stunning vocal drop-in midway only to change directionfor the run-in and back again to country shuffle, this time with considerablymore gusto, ending with a whopping crescendo right up to under 10 minutes.
Vocal and strings are enough for an intro to the witty Devil Tricks For ABitch but he couldnt help a bit of bass and drums to conclude. If Hynesis looking for a UK breakthrough single, it has to be the jaunty Dry Lipsor the equally perky Let The Bitches Die aided by Emmy once again.
File under: Great song writing.
Weblinks:lightspeedchampion.com /myspace.com/lightspeedchampion
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Number One
2. Galaxy Of The Lost
3. Tell Me What Its Worth
4. All To Shit
5. Midnight Surprise
6. Devil Tricks For A Bitch
7. I Could Have Done This Myself
8. Salty Water
9. Dry Lips
10. Everyone I Know Is Listening To Crunk
11. Let The Bitches Die
12. No Surprise (For Wendela) / Midnight Surprise
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.